The 2012/13 cruise season: a new case of Argentine intolerance towards Malvinas
Most probably this cruise season 2012/2013 will be remembered not for the record number of calls or visitors (estimated in half a million) but as a new case of Argentine intolerance with the Malvinas Islands in centre stage, writes La Nacion columnist Emiliano Galli.
Maritime agencies which render operational services to the cruise companies (they don’t sell tickets but rather are in charge of all the paper work to dock and leave Argentine ports), which also call in the Falkland Islands have been taken hostage by radical groups such as Malvinas Resistance and Quebracho, among others. This has meant that the Aida cruises will not be returning to Argentina this season but will continue calling in Malvinas.
These radical groups put pressure to impede cruise vessels from calling in Argentine ports if they also include in their itinerary the Falklands/Malvinas (and if their flag, agency or company have any kind of links with the UK), with pickets when passengers disembark, distributing pamphlets and even delaying tug operations.
But Galli also points out that something happened last week, because none other than the ‘Star Princess’ and ‘Seabourn Sojourn’ called in Ushuaia, where the controversial Gaucho Rivero Law is prevalent and which refers to a docking and service ban in Tierra del Fuego province for any vessel of UK or convenience flag involved in logistics and support operations related to natural resources exploration or exploitation (oil industry) in the Malvinas Islands basin.
In effect and according to columnist Galli contrary to a year ago and recent events this last week, Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and South Atlantic Islands governor Fabiana Rios allowed the cruise vessels to dock undisturbed.
“The only possible explanation is that she was clearly instructed” and this could only come directly from Government House (Casa Rosada) since Governor Rios is not only a close ally of President Cristina Fernandez but is also highly dependent on the federal cheque and generous legislation for companies to invest and develop the region.
This however did not impede that visitors landing last Friday in the port of Buenos Aires were exposed to pamphlets from the radical group Malvinas Resistance with diatribes such as “The empire is making use of you as shock troops” and “At some time you will clash with our shock troops”.
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I'm also surprised that these people are allowed anywhere near the ships docking, aren't ports supposed to be secured areas?
However, one should never underestimate the power of stupid people in large numbers.
How true your words are.
To see this saying in action one need only look as far as the present coalition government in the UK.
In Ushuaia there is a less switched on lady - but one who has now been shown the facts of economic life by the traders and business folks there - and has realised a “neck-winding in” is the sensible and practical course- rather than hand a big sector of your economy to neghbouring Chile!
In Buenos Aires the nutters and fanatic - encouraged by the Maximo group - could not give a damn about the jobs of those involved in the business and would not understand economic facts if they were smacked in the face with them- and that probabaly incudes Christina.
Plan - to get ships to cance Falklands calls.
Actual Results to date - more ships have cancelled Argentine Port Calls instead!
Prediction for 2013-14 Season - Buenos Aires may well almost dissapear from the cruise ship map and Uruguay and Brazil will be laughing. Chubut and TDF will keep calm - and still get a number of ships but TDF in particular needs to be carefull!- Chile is a peacefull alternative.
We will see.
Is this a possibility or is it tough talk again?
From what I have been reading Quebrecho have also been getting involved in Chile in the disputes between the Mapuches and the local settlers. Complete nutters.
What is not being taken into account by the Argentines responsible for this trouble - and it goes right back to CFKC and Fat Max - it that people on cruise ships are on vacation. They are not interested in silly gangs of twats chasing lost causes. They choose cruises because they see it as a safe way to see exotic destinations and they would sooner not go than be threatened.
l've said this before but its worth repeating.
One of my brothers is a mining engineer in Peru & he has told me the the Peruvians he comes into contact with, say just that.
“We don't like the Argentines because they are so arrogant”!
And Peru is supposed to be one of their friends!!!
Obviously, not all Argentines behave in this way but a significant number do, hence the prevalent opinion amongst their neighbours near and far.
When I spend long periods of time in a country certain traits become apparent. On a personal level I find it amusing that Argentine men have huge, paper-thin egos (easy to pop) and Chilean men will never, EVER, admit they are lost when driving. Even when reversing on the hard-shoulder of a busy road after missing a turning, or shouting out of the windows for directions every 100 meters, or sitting in the middle of nowhere at a dead-end, will they admit they are lost. (Easy to wind-up)
'Chilean men' should be replaced with 'men'. Although I have never found myself reversing on the hard shoulder to take an exit (did this man survive?!), I will not admit defeat and say I'm lost. This goes for every man I know (and french women I dare say! ).
P.S Sign my petition please everyone :-). Get anyone you know to sign my petition please; it's only got 2 months to go out of it's 3 and there is a long way to go to the golden 100 000! epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/42558 May an embargo truely show up the RGs and teach them a lesson in global economics in a way they never thought possible (not that we buy much of their tat anyway - but its a start!).
We did all survive the hard shoulder incident. I casually mentioned in a high pitched scream that it was an illegal manoeuvre in the UK and my chilean companion agreed it was in Chile too.
And in the name of peace,
If all the cruise liners never called at Argentina at all,
This way, it saves time and energy of these argie fanatics threatening or damaging them.
The tourist can enjoy themselves,
The Falklands and the rest of south America get more trade,
And CFK can cry in her pram,
A win win situation is it not .lol.
.
While I agree with you, I am hoping liners will call at BA a few more times.
If the upscale clientele from NA and EU experience more of the same Argentine 'hospitality', the message to the outside world may sink in, “we don't care for you, we hate you, we're jealous of you, we will use violence to intimidate others”.
Perhaps that will raise Argentina in world consciousness from, “we don't know anything about them” to a more enlightened, “ we don't know what their problem is, but Argentina is scary, violent, unpredictable, and they don't like us”.
Well done CFK
oh, yeah, forgot - this is HER doing that, silly me.
AMAZED that lots of other countries haven't run to the UN to denounce Argentina.
I guess, possibly, they think that that sort of thing is bloody juvenile and would make them look stupid.
A bit like loosing out on a load of income from tourist who are no longer stopping in Argentina in fact.
:-)
And Peru is supposed to be one of their friends!!!
AHAHAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH isolde,want to know the opinions about the brits??
Oh Argentina, you can't even keep your promises when it comes to being violent and disruptive.
AHAHAHHAHAAHAH
A brits complains about keeping promises....AHAHAHAHAH
Poor deluded ex empire.....IS FINISHED!
from Thornhill, Canada - what are you going to do when that Red Card arrives from the IMF?
Will you blame everything on the 'evil Empire' or for Cristina and C0 for cooking the books?
No!! wait!!! I think that it's trying to communicate.... It appears to be using words of some kind.......
“WE MEAN YOU NO HARM........TAKE US TO YOUR LEADER!!”
“from Thornhill”
Bob, do you mind nipping down to Eglinton and Bathurst, and kicking PH ALEX's ass???
@29... I was thinking exactly the same, god forbid that happens of course a innocent holiday maker attempting to go ashore and spend some money only to end up assaulted. Now that would be the biggest own goal. The way these idiots are going you could actually see something like that happening though.
We never get lost, just find new ways to get to new places.
Now the hard shoulder: you see we didn't use to have them, so when we get an extra lane added to the road we have to give it some use. Overtaking is one use and reversing back to missed turnings is another very use for hard shoulders - got to give them some use otherwise it's all wasted investment.
I now factor the 'new route' into my travel plans. I should add that one of my dearest female friends in Chile is about the worst driver I have ever encountered. She once stopped ON a railway line to look both ways to see if a train was coming!
@33 Try five lanes at a red in Buenos Aires. I never look.
It is not just your friend, Chilean women are the worst drivers on the planet. We drive bad but we are good at it, the chicas on the other hand, just drive bad.
My youngest son frequently asks me to stop on the train line when the train is coming to get a better look at it. I sometimes oblige, you see it is not an electrified bullet train travelling at 300km/hr, it is a dirty diesel travelling at 30km/hr tops.
Occasionally you hear about a car being hit by a train here. It makes me wonder what they were doing, you would actually have to fall asleep on the crossing for this to happen.
axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/Article_64333.shtml
The Telegraph shows why P&O Cruises have given the finger to the RG's, its just divine reading, clearly shows how stupid they have been since the 1982 invasion. They have lost countless opportunities to bury the hatchet and let go of their daft claims. It could have been so different, a good relationship with mutual business and contracts for oil, fishing and tourism, open travel and international respect from around the world. Now all they have is a big fat nothing, no respect, no trust and a worn out population living in La La land.
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